XSeries-forum

Looking for an X5 after regretting selling mine a few years ago.

Definitely going to be a V8, but am debating LPG.

I've seen two motors, one is a 52 plate with comms kit etc, 100k with LPG conversion - £6500

The other is a facelift 04, again with comms kit, 85k, but no LPG for £7k

At the moment I'm only doin around 8k per year, but I'm an IT consultant so my location could change in a few months to maybe 25k per year.

What would you do? LPG now on the 52 plate or LPG later on the 04?

I would find the truck you really want, with or without LPG and if necceasry get it converted when you feel the need. You might find a nice one with poor LPG system or a poor truck with a good LPG system, so this way you take one thing out of the equation. Got to say I love mine

Hi Peter,

I'm new here myself,only 2 weeks in.

I'm not a LPG expert but I personally just like to keep my cars how they come out the factory. I've read on some forums (not this one) of issues with LPG etc and could be more trouble than its worth.

If I was doing 8k a yr i'd keep the V8 as is and keep it to 70 the motorway but if its likely to be 25k a year i'd go for a diesel.

Or the other way i'd look at it is if your getting either of those 80k to 100k mileage cars and doing 25k a year I would think you could lose half of what you pay in 1st year or so. as you'd be way over the 100k within the 1st year etc.

Hi peter

thats a good price for the LPG, i paid £6,500 for my 2000 plate with prims LPG conversion and 130,000 on the clock, do you know what conversion is installed, allways best to choose one with a high end conversion on the Xers

[quote=""entropy""]Hi Peter,

I'm new here myself,only 2 weeks in.

I'm not a LPG expert but I personally just like to keep my cars how they come out the factory. I've read on some forums (not this one) of issues with LPG etc and could be more trouble than its worth.

If I was doing 8k a yr i'd keep the V8 as is and keep it to 70 the motorway but if its likely to be 25k a year i'd go for a diesel.

Or the other way i'd look at it is if your getting either of those 80k to 100k mileage cars and doing 25k a year I would think you could lose half of what you pay in 1st year or so. as you'd be way over the 100k within the 1st year etc.[/quote]

Only one problem with mine and that was an easily changed sensor. System is piggybacked on cars ECU so uses all the sensors. If it runs OK on petrol it will run OK on gas. Whats not to like about 30mpg equivalent and no rattly diesel....

[quote=""entropy""]Hi Peter,

I'm new here myself,only 2 weeks in.

I'm not a LPG expert but I personally just like to keep my cars how they come out the factory. I've read on some forums (not this one) of issues with LPG etc and could be more trouble than its worth.

If I was doing 8k a yr i'd keep the V8 as is and keep it to 70 the motorway but if its likely to be 25k a year i'd go for a diesel.

Or the other way i'd look at it is if your getting either of those 80k to 100k mileage cars and doing 25k a year I would think you could lose half of what you pay in 1st year or so. as you'd be way over the 100k within the 1st year etc.[/quote]
having a diesel now and my old x5 was lpg, i can tell you the lpg ones are cheaper to run!!! when i had my lpg x5 it started at 49.9ppl then got to 69.9ppl at the time diesel was around 125.9ppl, now diesel is 146.9 and the lpg is still 72.9ppl so even cheaper now, though i would either hunt one with a prinns system or go the find a good x5 and then get the lpg conversion done if or when required

So is Prinns the best one? I've heard of one called Romano or something similar...

My last X5 was a V8... It was ideal when I was travelling 60-70 miles a week to work, but my next contract pushed that up to 400 a week... It was costing me a fortune in petrol.... In hindsight, I should have lpg'd it but I ended up selling and buying a Vauxhall Signum 3l diesel v6.... Ha ha... Hardly much difference in fuel economy at all really!

I'm definitely going to stick to a V8... 4.4 or potentially 4.6.... And thinking if I can find a motor I like with LPG then fair enough, but if I need to get it done later on, then no probs.

Insurance difference in 4.4 and 4.6.... I've heard it's a lot...?

Is it worth looking for a facelift model... Many differences?

Have been running a 4.4 04 plate with a BRC LPG system (came with car and was installed sometime ago) for over a year now and touching wood had no issues what so ever. Cheapest Ive found LPG was last year in Minehead at 63p and the most Ive paid recently was 76p per litre, it pays to shop around as you can find 2 garages side by side with 3-5p difference.

You'll have to factor in the cost of installation though as a professional install is about £1k-£2K depending on what system and who does it, so you'll have to do some miles to see that pay back.

I'm all for LPG, the good systems seem to suit the X5 very well and if you are going to stay with the car for along time you'll see gains, including cheaper Road tax, further mileage range if you use both fuel tanks. Ive also been told (never found out for sure, but met a guy who lived within the zone with an LPG car who told me) that LPG is also congestion charge exempt.

Good Luck with your hunt!

Tom

Mind me asking what you paid for the motor Tom?

I might as well chirp in here, seeing as I have the 4.6is with lpg, it was already fitted when I bought the car, one of the reasons I did in fact buy this particular car, that and I had previously owned the car, so I knew quite a bit about it.
You notice no performance difference whether it's on petrol or lpg, this is purely down to the size of the engine, on smaller less powerful cars you do notice it, also remember that the car will get through petrol as well, as it won't switch over until a pre-set temp. is reached, ( this can be adjusted to suit certain times of the year, but I just leave it alone ), and it likes a drink of petrol, especially on cold mornings, so factor this in as well.
If the system has been fitted correctly then it will give you around 25-28mpg, taking into account the differing costs, ( this is on a 4.6 ), this is an average, anyone that says they get more is, well, wrong .
One thing to remember, they like to be kept topped up on gas, if you let it run low then you risk it not liking it too much when you give it some beans, it will either switch straight over to petrol, or it will die on you as it can't pump enough gas through to cope with your demand for POWER! But you only do it the once before you start looking for the LPG garage.
And do remember, you are not allowed through the Chunnel, but you do get to go around London without paying the congestion charge.

[quote=""Peterc2609""]Mind me asking what you paid for the motor Tom?[/quote]

£11.5k Peter. Weird fish is right re the Petrol first required to warm up the car but mine only needs around a mile or 2 before the LPG kicks in.

[quote=""tombs""][quote=""Peterc2609""]Mind me asking what you paid for the motor Tom?[/quote]

£11.5k Peter. Weird fish is right re the Petrol first required to warm up the car but mine only needs around a mile or 2 before the LPG kicks in.[/quote]
Exactly right, it doesn't seem very far but seeing how thirsty these beasts are it still likes a drop or two.

Just as a matter of interest, went to the lakes and back yesterday on a tank of LPG, thats 200 miles which cost me about £38. It would be better but I have a lambda sensor down which is making one bank run rich

[quote=""IanP""]Just as a matter of interest, went to the lakes and back yesterday on a tank of LPG, thats 200 miles which cost me about £38. It would be better but I have a lambda sensor down which is making one bank run rich[/quote]
What spec car have you got, that seems about right, 28-29mpg.

[quote=""weirdfish""][quote=""IanP""]Just as a matter of interest, went to the lakes and back yesterday on a tank of LPG, thats 200 miles which cost me about £38. It would be better but I have a lambda sensor down which is making one bank run rich[/quote]
What spec car have you got, that seems about right, 28-29mpg.[/quote]
how you working that out, because it's about 18mpg in LPG terms.


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